Invalid&#39;s chair



Jan. 18, 1944. G. A. slLL ETAL 2,339,361

INVALIDS CHAIR Filed July 3l, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1NVE RS. e d 6220 /afqwaz ATTORNFY INVALIDS CHAIR Filed July 3l, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 18, 1944 George A. Sill and 'Herbert L. Thompson, Elgin, Ill.v

Application Jnl-y'l, 1940, SerialiNo. 348,906

` r Claims.

Our invention relates 'to improvements in apparatus or equipment for use'by 'invalidsL Our invention relates "more particularly toiinprovements in self-propelled 'invalids chairs or similar devices.

It is a well known fact Atl-iat 'people who `are bed-ridden, crippled, or invalids to the extent that they are more or lesshelpless, are generally spiritless in heart and do vnot have a state of mind conducive to cheerfulness or' hope because of 'the realization that they are such a burden upon other people. Their every slight'n'eed requires the attention of others and constantly reminds them of their own helplessness.v If mechanical devices could be devised'which could be used-by such people so that 'they' could wait' uporrthemselves at least to a degree, it would have a heartening eiect upon them and naturally lrelieve others of a portion of theiburden `of attending them.

Therefore, the principal object of our invention is to provide an improved invalids or crippled persons Wheeled chair'.

A further' object of the invention is to provide a chair of this type which is capable oi' being easily handled by an invalid for moving from piace to place and yet which, when desired,wi\ll automatically be firmly located'wherever the invalid desires to have the chair disposed in a stationary location.

A furtherl object of theV` invention is' to provide adjustable arm supports to suit individuall requirements as to height, but capable when 'desired, of being easily swungv down so that laninvalid can slide sideways iromthep'hair 'intoa bed or vice versa.

A further object or the invention is to provide a highly improved invalids chair having. various other features such as anl adjustableback, an adjustable seat and arm rests, and `Veasily operated mechanism for making these adjustments.

Other objects and advantages will be more' dotted-line position to permit movement-of the lpatient 'from the' chair sideways toa bed;

Fig. 5 is an enlargedv sectionaiview of the arm rest `meohanisin taken `generally on the line 5e-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig'. Gfis'anerilarged fragmentary View thereof taken generally on the lines 6-57o'f Fig.` 5;

En theembodifrnerit of the invention whic'hlhas Y been illustrated, we-have shown Vgenerally an invalidsor crippledpersons chair which may comcient diameter" so 'that a person 'sitting in the chaircan easily'grasp the same to secure forward' movement iof the chair. We' provide an extending rearwardly from the bracket 24 formed with adiownwardly turned portion engaging in a small wheel supporting bracket 32. The rubber tired- Vwheel 34 maybe mounted therein in suchy af position that it may revolve about the aX-is of thebracket. We provide a resilient connection between the arm 30 and the bracket so that when a person on the seat sits back, -the-weightis su'icienft to press the spring .36 and lower ther arm 3o about .an inch. The

purpose of this movement is to raise the foot rest i8y whichis'lcarriecl bya pair of brackets 38 vthat are-*rigidly Aconnected tothe axle 25.

Froml the above it is clearthat when a 'person sits-back in. theel-lair, compressing the spring 36, the foot rest I8 will be raised from the licor and the chair may AbeY propelled about; Whenever a.'personsits'uprightetheI foot rest will be xedly positioned upon the floor and thus prevent any movement of the chair during this time.

We have provided means for tilting the back of the chair. The side supports 40 may be pivotally mounted upon a cross rod 42 fastened in the extended ends Ia of the seat. We provide a bracket 44 connected by suitable bolts 46 to the lowermost ends of the side supports 40. We mount a handle 48 through a screw-threaded opening 50 in the bracket 44 and rotatably connect the same in a boss 52 that is pivotally connected in the bracket 26. With this connection the back may be tilted to a desired angle by simply turning the handle 48 and moving the lowermost part of the back to and fro.

We have also provided adjustment means for the arm rests I4 and I6. This means may include a vertical standard 54 for each of the arms I4 and I6. The standard 54 is provided with an elongated slot 56 through which a bolt 58 is extended. The bolt 58 is fastened in the sides of the chair seat I and may extend through an opening in a clamp member 60 provided for each arm. The clamp member SU may carry at one end a friction member 62 which includes a hand wheel, a pad 64 and a screw-threaded shank mounted in the upper end of the clamp 60. Thus by loosening the friction pad, the arm rest may be raised or lowered by sliding it up and down on the bolt 58, and when la desired heightis reached the clamping means may be fastened, thus securely fixing the arm in the desired po- In order that the arms of the chair may bel swung out of the way so that a patient can move himself sideways from abcd on to the chair, ork from the chair to a bed or water closet or vother position, we have provided the extension 54a at the lower end of the standard 54. Thus l when the clamping means 60 is loosened, the armi I4 may be raised till the bolt 58 is in the lower end of the elongated slot and the arm may be rotated approximately ninety degrees with the portion 54a resting against a shoulder 66 formed upon the bracket 68 that is fastened at the side of the chair I0. The arm is thus held in a fixed position out of the Way of the person usingthe chain, and as soon as he has transferred from a bed to the chair, he can raise the arm, fasten it in a desired position, and have arm rests during the time he is occupying the chair.

While we have illustrated and described a specific embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made in the exact details shown, and we do not wish to limit our invention; rather what we desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. An invalids chair comprising a seat, back and arm rests, a three-wheeled carriage to support the same, said carriage having a pair of large wheels on opposite sides of said chair, an axle therebetween, a bracket on said axle, an arm extending rearwardly therefrom, a' small wheel positioned in a second bracket at the end of said arm, and a resilient connection between said second bracket and said arm permitting back and forth tilting of the chair on the carriage, a flat foot rest normally resting on the floor supported from said axle and so arranged that tilting movement of the chair raises the same so the chair may be moved about by the occupant.

2. An invalids chair comprising a seat, back and arm rests, a three-wheeled carriage to support the same, said carriage having a pair of large wheels on opposite sides of said chair, an axle therebetween, a bracket on said axle, an arm extending rearwardly therefrom, a small wheel positioned in a second bracket at the end of said arm, and a resilient connection between said second bracket and said arm permitting back and forth tilting of the chair on the carriage, a pair of forward and downwardly disposed brackets secured to said axle, a flat foot rest normally resting on the floor supported by said brackets from said axle and so arranged that tilting movement of the chair raises the same so the chair may be moved about by the occui pant.

3. The combination with an invalids chair having a seat, back, arm rests and means associated with said arm rests for moving the same to an inoperative position, of a three-wheeled carriage to support said chair, said carriage having a pair of large wheels on opposite sides of said chair, an axle therebetween, a bracket on said axle, an arm extending rearwardly therefrom, a small wheel positioned in a second bracket at the end of said arm, and a resilient connection between said second bracket and said arm permitting back and forth tilting of the chair on the carriage, a flat foot rest normally resting on the floor when the chair is in a stationary position, said foot rest supported from said axle and so arranged that tilting movement of the chair raises the same so the chair may be moved about by the occupant.

4. A chair of the type described comprising a seat, back and arm rests, a wheeled carriage to support the same, said carriage including a framework having a main axle, a pair of wheels journalled on said axle and positioned upon opposite sides of said chair, a horizontally disposed foot rest connected to the front of said framework and normally positioned resting on the floor, and a wheel member connected to the back of said framework and normally in contact with the floor, and spring means mounting said wheel member on said framework whereby the framework may be tilted rearwardly against the tention of said spring means so that the foot rest may be raised from the floor to permit moving about of said apparatus upon its wheels.

5. Apparatus of the class described comprising a tiltably mounted carriage, a chair rigidly mounted on said carriage, said carriage having spaced front wheels and a resiliently mounted back wheel at all times in contact with the floor,

`chair to raise said foot rest from' the floor.

GEORGE A. SILL. HERBERT L. THOMPSON. 

